Posts from December 2006

December 28, 2006

It's far too easy to dismiss Naked Boys Singingas mere titillation. It actually has some pretty decent material in it. The show is certainly head and shoulders above the execrable Oh, Calcutta!, at least in terms of the quality of its content.

But, hey, let's be honest: we don't go see Naked Boys Singing for deep insights or incisive social commentary. We want to see some dick.

A digression: There's a song in the terrific Off-Broadway revue Upstairs at O'Neals
(starring an as yet unknown Bebe Neuwirth) called "The Feet," which
talks about how at a lot of Off- and Off-Off-Broadway shows, the sight
lines are so bad you can't see anyone's feet, which renders any
choreography superfluous.

Well, when I saw Naked Boys Singing in Provincetown, it was in a cabaret setting that had folding chairs and no rake in the audience. Which meant that most of the audience, myself included, spent the whole show weaving back and forth in an effort to see the good stuff.

Grrrr.

Anyway, it appears that the long-running Naked Boys Singingwill receive a film version. This will no doubt allow those folks who were too timid to buy a ticket to the live show a chance to watch the DVD in the privacy of their own homes, remote in one hand, KY in the other.

December 26, 2006

The marathon that is Les Miz will continue. Producer Cameron Mackintosh recently announced that the Broadway revival of Les Miserables, originally scheduled for a six-month limited engagement, will run at least until the summer. The show hasn't been playing to capacity, but it has been enjoying healthy houses and relatively high average ticket costs.

The success of the Les Miz revival reflects the changed nature of the Broadway ticket-buying public.Sure, we still have theater stalwarts like you and me buying tickets to see slightly more adventurous shows like Grey Gardensand Spring Awakening. But increasingly the Broadway audience has comprised more NYC tourists looking to be blown away with size and spectacle.

But then there's the "little musicals that could," like Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Drowsy Chaperone: relatively modest shows that make their money back. It will be very interesting to see whether Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening, both very worthy shows, and both modestly produced, will be able to attract audiences long enough to make a profit.

I'm still not going to see Les Miz. I'll leave that for the Phantom, Mamma Mia, Lion King crowd. On my next trip to NYC, which is coming up next week, I'll probably be taking in a few Off Broadway shows, such as The Fantasticks, Jacques Brel, and The Evil Dead. Watch this space for my reviews.

December 24, 2006

I was just watching one of my favorite holiday movies, Miracle on 34th Street. Not the abysmal 1994 remake, but the charming 1947 original. And, of course, it put me in mind of the musical version
that very few people have heard of, Meredith Willson's Here's Love. I've never seen the show, but the score is most unmemorable, and only served to solidify Willson's status as a one-hit wonder. (The Unsinkable Molly Brown barely eked out a profit, and has a similarly unremarkable score.)

Here's Love could have been a great musical. But even with the help of his Christmas standard, "It's Beginning to
Look a Lot Like Christmas," Willson was unable to make it so. Apparently Willson was only able to craft the masterpiece that is The Music Man under the tutelage of the great Frank Loesser.

One of the things I say quite frequently in my Boston Conservatory course is that there's no such thing as a bad idea for a musical, only bad execution. For the most part, I believe that. Heck, even Carrie and Lestat could have made good musicals. And think of some of the good-to-great musicals that were based on seemingly untenable ideas: Titanic, Sweeney Todd, 1776, My Fair Lady.

In honor of the recently closed High Fidelity, here are my top 5 Desert Island choices for musicals that should have worked:

December 22, 2006

The attraction of reality TV continues to elude me, but by all accounts I may be the only one left on earth allergic to this particular form of entertainment. The British TV series "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" was apparently a huge hit, and the London revival of The Sound of Musicthat said TV show gave rise to appears to be similarly successful.

So successful, in fact, that producer Andrew Lloyd Webber is planning a similar TV series to cast an upcoming revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The show will ask viewers to help cast three key roles: Joseph, the Narrator, and the Pharaoh. On this side of the pond, the NBC series that will cast the leads of a planned Broadway revival of Greasebegins on January 7th.

So, the question is, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Is reality TV intrinsically evil, a blight on everything it touches? Or does this trend represent welcome and overdue attention from the general public to the joys of a live Broadway show? Most likely the answer is somewhere in between: it's great that people are paying attention to Broadway musicals, but it's kind of lame that the actual musicals attracting their attention are the same old shows everyone has seen a gazillion times.

But, hey, if in the process of seeing one of these shows, people get hooked on live theater and start seeing some more adventurous offerings, then I'm all for it. In fact, I have a nominee for the next show they should do: West Side Story. Always a sentimental favorite, and it hasn't been on Broadway in about 25 years. Plus, it's an important show, with timeless subject matter, and one of the best scores ever written.

December 21, 2006

In my musical-theater history course at the Boston Conservatory, I make it a point of covering shows that are historically significant, irrespective of whether I actually like them. Fortunately, most of the time, the important shows are also shows I either have a personal passion for, or at least respect.

South Pacific is a notable exception. Sure, it's a significant show, and it was a huge hit in its day. But is hasn't really aged very well, and it certainly can't hold a candle to Oklahoma, Carousel and The King & I in terms of integration and musical storytelling. Sure, the subject matter is progressive: the show is essentially about the futility of racial prejudice. And there are some really great songs in the show. But the score is just a collection of songs, beautiful pieces that don't add up to a cohesive whole.

And it won the friggin' Pulitzer Prize. On the final exam in my BoCo course, one of the essays starts with the statement "None of the musicals that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize has truly deserved it." I then list the seven musicals that have won the award (Of Thee I Sing, South Pacific, Fiorello, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Chorus Line, Sunday in the Park with George, and Rent), and ask students who disagree to choose a show a defend it. Students often choose Rent, Sunday, or A Chorus Line. No one has ever chosen South Pacific.

So, anyway, the Lincoln Center Theater has decided to revive South Pacificas part of its 2007-2008 season. No casting announcements as yet, but Tony nominee Bartlett Sher (The Light in the Piazza) will direct. Will this production present a dramatic re-imagining of the piece, as did the 1994 revival of Carousel? I suppose it's possible, but it's easier to bring out the brilliance of a show when the show is intrinsically brilliant. Sher has his work cut out for him.

December 20, 2006

The current revival of Stephen Sondheim's Companywill receive a cast recording. This will be the third Broadway recording, following those of the original cast and the 1995 revival. Although I wasn't thrilled with the current production, I'm always happy when a new cast album comes out. I'll be particularly interested to see if Raul Esparza and Barbara Walsh come off any better on CD than they did on stage. And I can only hope that Heather Laws finds the breath control to execute "Getting Married Today" without intermittent gasps that break up the line of the song.

The Off-Broadway production of Evil Dead: The Musical will also receive a cast recording. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm told it's a camp fest, along the lines of Bat Boyor Reefer Madness, the latter of which is sorely underrated, albeit massively flawed. I'm thinking of catching Evil Dead next month, when I go down to see The Apple Tree. Watch for my review.

In other cast album news, it's possible that the recently closed High Fidelity will receive a cast album, care of the good folks at Sh-K-Boom Records. We have much to thank Sh-K-Boom president and founder Kurt Deutsch for, not least of which are the cast recordings for The Drowsy Chaperone, Spelling Bee, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but also for recordings of shows that may not have seen the light of day had it not been for Deutsch and his recording company, including Amour, [title of show], and Bright Lights, Big City.

December 18, 2006

Now that Jay Johnson: The Two and Only has vacated the Helen Hayes Theater, the producers of the stage version of the Olivia Newton John cinematic camp-fest Xanaduhave announced that their show will be the next tenant.

Here's the thing: the Helen Hayes is tiny: 597 seats to be precise. That speaks volumes about the nature and tone of the production. I mean, it's obviously not going to be a big splashy spectacle, but rather a tongue-resolutely-planted-in-cheek take on a miserable mess of a movie. One wonders whether the Helen Hayes stage would be large enough, for instance, for any prospective roller-skating production numbers. It's especially telling that the show will play the Helen Hayes given that the Imperial is now available with the recent closure of High Fidelity.

This also means that Xanadu librettist Douglas Carter Beane, after making his Broadway debut with the hilarious The Little Dog Laughed, will have two shows on Broadway this season. It also signals a continuation of the trend in which respected and award-winning playwrights try their hand at crafting musicals. Sometimes the results are stunning (Doug Wright with Grey Gardens, Tony Kushner and Caroline, or Change), but other times the results have been desultory (David Lindsay Abaire and the aforementioned High Fidelity).

If Xanadu is anywhere near as smart and funny as The Little Dog Laughed, we could be in for a fun time at the Helen Hayes, indeed.

December 15, 2006

I honestly never expected it to last this long, but evidently Martin Short: Fame Becomes Mewill be closing after the holidays. It's the sort of show that probably should have been a limited-run presentation from the beginning. That might have created a bit more urgency on the part of the ticket-buying public.

That said, regular readers will recall that I saw the show on impulse in November and had a pretty decent time. And I was glad to hear that they're issuing a CD because Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman have contributed some really fun stuff in the show. Evidently a tour is in the works, but these days, don't they say that about nearly every show as it's closing? We'll see if that actually materializes.

After the semi-disastrous box-office performance of Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Producers, the movie-musical genre could certainly use a shot in the arm. By all accounts, the upcoming movie of Dreamgirls is looking like another Chicago, which is great. And Hairspray is also looking quite promising.

But if Sweeney is anywhere near as good as it promises to be, it could solidify the movie musical as a viable, money-making prospect. And since nothing succeeds like success, that would mean more movie musicals.

December 13, 2006

Yeah, shows are closing left and right (High Fidelity, The Wedding Singer, The Times They Are a Changin'), but there are plenty of success stories out there as well. The Drowsy Chaperone recently recouped its $8-million initial investment, and Oprah's The Color Purplemade back its $11-million upfront costs.

I consider Drowsy to be in the same category as Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, what I call "The Little Musical That Could." Yeah, Drowsyis a bit larger in scale than the other two shows, but they all came out of nowhere with modest ambitions and relatively small casts and, even if they didn't all win Best Musical, they've made their money back in relatively short order. This is especially impressive considering that these shows could have been lost in the shadows of much larger and flashier competitors: Wicked, Spamalot, and Jersey Boys.

As for The Color Purple, well I've come to consider it the forgotten hit. Yeah, it's making money, on the order of $1-million plus every week. But I haven't seen it, and I know very few people who have.
Clearly, this show has a substantial audience out there, and it must be attracting some nontraditional demographic categories (e.g. African Americans) that are keeping the show, you should pardon the expression, in the black.

I'm going to have to catch it on tour, or on one of my next trips to New York. Maybe it will be on the same trip that I finally, and reluctantly, give in and see Jersey Boys.

December 12, 2006

Can't say I'm surprised, but High Fidelityposted its closing notice today. It will have played 14 performances.

Ouchy-wa-wa.

When I saw the show in Boston during its out-of-town tryout, I felt it needed quite a bit of work if it was going to work on Broadway. Sources tell me that the production staff made some changes, but evidently they weren't enough to bring the piece to life.

It's really a shame. The piece had merit, and there were certainly some worthy performances, particularly those from Will Chase and Jenn Colella. And the score has some really interesting songs.

The main culprit, I think, was director Walter Bobbie. He just wasn't able to wrench any humor or credible drama out of the piece. The show could have a significant afterlife, especially if there's a full-length recording of the show, although that may not happen at this point. There's a CD sampler in circulation, which I have a copy of, and it really has some compelling stuff on it, particularly the opening number, "Desert Island Top 5 Breakups."

On a positive note, ticket sales for Spring Awakeningappear to be picking up after some pretty stellar reviews. The show had been playing to about a third of capacity, but the reviews combined with great word of mouth may just turn that around for the show. As I said in my review yesterday, it's a very exciting and energetic show, and well worth taking in.

December 11, 2006

The future of musical theater depends partly upon attracting younger audiences, which is but one reason to be excited about the new musical Spring Awakening. Composer Duncan Sheik and librettist/lyricist Steven Sater are a welcome infusion of new blood into the Broadway community.

The question is, is the show any good? Well, I'm happy to report that, although Spring Awakening has many flaws, overall it's a thrilling piece of musical theater.

I must confess that I'm not a really big fan of this particular genre of storytelling: a tragic cautionary tale of the evils of adult oppression and hypocrisy, a la Dead Poet's Society. But wrapped up in the telling of that tale is enough raw energy, dynamic staging, and superior acting talent to more than make up for the slightly cliched nature of the plot.

Two numbers in particular stand out as particularly kick-ass: "The Bitch of Living" and "Totally Fucked," which act as bookends of frustration and desperation for the talented cast of young newcomers. Chief among those performers is the amazing Jonathan Groff, who brings a dynamic intensity to the pivotal role of Melchior.

The show's numerous flaws include some random story lines that come out of nowhere and either don't go anywhere (the gay stuff) or artificially and awkwardly serve to set up another plot point (the incest stuff). I'm all for shows addressing important issues, and I'm certainly in favor of as much gay content as is necessary and appropriate. But the seams are showing at these points in the show, and it detracts from the effectiveness of the piece.

But overall, Spring Awakening is a worthy and welcome addition to the Broadway season. It's been playing to half-empty houses, but the audience I saw it with was very enthusiastic and I suspect that word of mouth with make this show a well-deserved, albeit modest, hit.

December 08, 2006

Took a day trip to Manhattan on Wednesday and caught the Companyrevival and the new musical Spring Awakening. Let's start with Company.

I was concerned that John Doyle's actor/musician conceit would wear out its welcome. It worked brilliantly with Sweeney Todd, but I wasn't sure whether it would prove to be a fun one-time gimmick or a sustainable method of production. I'll leave that question for another day. The question at present is whether it works in the current production.

With Sweeney, the actor/musician ploy was in many ways the star of the show, although Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone certainly more than held their own. With Company, it fades into the background and becomes just another production element, which is probably as it should be.

As for the production and the performances, I found them both a bit bloodless. I was prepared to have Raul Esparza and Barbara Walsh blow me away, but they just didn't. My main gripe with the show is that there was very little passion in evidence. You might say, well these aren't passionate people. Perhaps, but they are neurotic, and I just wasn't getting the tension, the edginess that this show requires. Doyle's direction includes some really interesting touches, but the scenes ultimately felt sanitized and the songs perfunctory.

(Oh, and Heather Laws as Amy kept taking breaths in the middle of the frenzied patter of "Getting Married Today." Sorry, that's unacceptable. It undermines the very power of the song.)

Perhaps the blue-hair Wednesday matinee crowd wasn't inspiring the cast to give their all. I mean, we're talking a really older demographic at this performance. Let's just say that getting many of the patrons to their seats required crampons, carabiners, and supplemental oxygen. But that really shouldn't make a difference, should it?

There's no question that this production is a significant improvement over the 1995 Roundabout revival. There were some compelling performances in that version, but Rob Marshall's embarrassingly over-choreographed production numbers really ruined things, for me anyway.

But whereas Doyle's Sweeney Todd amounted to nothing less than a comprehensive re-imagining of the piece, his Company comprises a thoroughly professional but ultimately unsatisfying presentation that leaves the definitive nature of the original production pretty much intact.